Ecommerce Management Advisors
Ecommerce Management Advisors
Google expands AI search campaign tools to new languages, adds creative capabilities and advertiser controls to optimize performance.
Google Shopping ads can be a powerful revenue driver – but to get the most out of it, you need to master bid management.
Whether you’re an in-house marketer or working at an agency, effective bid management is crucial for scaling success.
However, understanding how to optimize and adjust bids effectively in Google Shopping ads can be challenging, especially with all the different settings and levers that can be pulled!
Google Shopping has come a long way since its original inception in 2022 – and up until 2012, Google Shopping was free!
It seems that every year, more is needed to win the bidding war against rising costs in the Google Ads platform and keep brands’ profitability in check.
In this article, we’ll explore the strategies, tools, and best practices that can help you win the bidding war and maximize ROI on your Google Shopping campaigns.
Before we jump into bid management strategies, it’s essential to understand how Google Shopping works behind the scenes. Unlike Search campaigns, Google Shopping doesn’t rely on keywords to trigger ads.
Instead, product listing ads (PLAs) appear based on a combination of your product feed data and the user’s search intent. Google uses a unique auction system, and your bids interact with factors like relevance, user behavior, and other competitors in the space.
Quality Score plays a role in Google Shopping bid management, but a bit differently from Search campaigns.
Factors such as the product feed quality, landing page relevance, and historical campaign performance can influence how often your ads appear and at what cost. Here’s how to ensure you’re optimizing for Quality Score in Shopping:
Higher bids don’t always guarantee visibility, and low bids don’t always exclude you from auctions.
It’s a balance of ensuring your product feed is optimized while bidding strategically based on the product’s potential to convert.
Bidding strategies should reflect the actual performance of your products and overall business goals related to those campaigns.
One of the first decisions you need to make when managing Google Shopping bids is whether to rely on manual or automated bidding.
Both approaches have advantages depending on your business objectives, campaign budget, and the scale of your operations.
Google has added more automated bidding strategies over the years, making it easier to effectively bid based on your business goals.
However, the added complexity of choosing Standard Shopping campaigns versus the newer Performance Max campaign type allows for different bid strategies.
If choosing Standard Shopping campaigns, you have the option of these two automated bid strategies:
Screenshot from author, August 2024If you choose to set up a Performance Max campaign with your product feed linked, you have the option of more bid strategies:
Additionally, Performance Max campaigns have the optional “Target ROAS” input to yield a little bit more control over your campaign bid strategy.
Lastly, you now have the option to choose how to bid for acquiring new customers – a very welcome addition to further maximize those ad dollars!
In Google Ads, you can choose to either bid higher for new customers than existing customers. Or, you can bid for new customers only.
Screenshot from author, August 2024For Google Shopping campaigns specifically, you may want to choose to bid higher for new customers instead of excluding them altogether, especially if your brand is used to having repeat customers.
This essentially means you’re willing to pay more to get a new customer, knowing they will likely purchase again in the future, leading to incremental revenue.
For higher-ticket items that users may only purchase once every few years, it may be worthwhile to choose ‘bid for new customers only’.
At the end of the day, make sure to choose the customer acquisition strategy that aligns with your business goals.
A key component to effective bid management is to segment your campaigns and ad groups properly. This allows for more granular control over bids and enables better performance optimization.
Knowing which metrics to monitor is critical for making informed bidding decisions. Below are the core KPIs to watch closely:
Knowing these KPIs for your business can help shape your bid management strategy and make strategic changes based on your Google Shopping performance in comparison to your business’s set KPIs.
For example, if you have an average conversion rate of 4% as a whole, but your Google Shopping campaigns are only providing a 2% conversion rate, that may tell you something needs to be optimized.
You may need to take a look at the keywords your products are showing up for and do some negative keyword management. Additionally, maybe your ads aren’t reaching the right users and you need to further refine audience targeting within your campaigns.
Another example of using your own data is knowing your profit margin for products. If you have a subset of products that have a high-profit margin, you can add a custom label into your product feed that denotes those products.
From there, you can segment your campaigns to have a higher priority on those particular products or choose to bid higher on them because they’re worth more to you and your business.
Google also provides several tools that can help inform your bid decisions:
Bid management is not a “set it and forget it” exercise. Continual testing, analyzing, and adjusting are necessary to maintain and improve campaign performance over time.
Bid management should also not be used for daily volatile changes at the campaign level.
If you’re micromanaging performance each day and changing bid strategies too often, you may end up with sub-optimal performance because you’re not giving Google enough time to learn and optimize based on performance.
It’s about finding a healthy balance between “set and forget” and “over-optimizing”. Going back to point #3, knowing the values of your core business metrics and goals makes it easier to react to performance swings and know when to take action.
Some ways to optimize for long-term success include:
Google Shopping is constantly evolving, and as machine learning models become more sophisticated, the way bids are managed will continue to change.
Staying informed about new features, tools, and best practices will help you maintain a competitive edge. Subscribe to updates, attend industry events, and engage with the community to keep your knowledge fresh.
Google Shopping bid management requires a balance between data-driven strategies, an understanding of the auction system, and a willingness to experiment and adapt.
By leveraging the tips and strategies discussed in this article, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of Google Shopping and drive profitable growth for your brand or clients.
Keep refining your approach, test new strategies, and stay on top of Google Shopping developments to stay competitive and ahead of the bid war.
More resources:
Featured Image: voronaman/Shutterstock
Since its launch in 2021, Google’s Performance Max (PMax) campaigns have revolutionized how we approach cross-channel advertising.
But while this AI-powered campaign has been a game-changer for many, particularly in ecommerce, its application for lead generation comes with unique challenges and opportunities.
I thought this would be a good time to share advanced strategies for leveraging PMax in lead generation campaigns. We’ll also identify common pitfalls and reveal how to maximize your results.
Unlike ecommerce, where a purchase marks a clear end to the customer journey, lead generation is just the beginning.
This fundamental difference creates a significant hurdle for PMax campaigns, presenting unique challenges that require advanced strategies.
Menachem Ani, founder of JXT Group, explains the core issue:
“Unlike e-commerce, where a purchase signifies the ‘end’ of the transaction, lead creation is the beginning of the sales process—and just because someone fills out a form doesn’t make them a quality lead.”
The challenge lies in teaching Google’s algorithm to distinguish between high-quality and low-quality leads.
Without this crucial information, PMax campaigns can fall into what some marketers call the “feedback loop of doom” – optimizing for quantity over quality and potentially flooding your pipeline with unqualified leads.
Image from author, September 2024Another critical factor in determining whether PMax suits your lead generation efforts is Google’s understanding of your business and website.
PMax heavily relies on your website content when targeting users. If Google misinterprets your service offerings, your campaigns are likely to underperform.
To assess Google’s comprehension of your business, try this simple test: Input your website URL into the Search Terms section of Google’s Keyword Planner.
Review the generated keywords and evaluate their relevance to your services. This exercise can provide valuable insights into how well Google understands your business, which is crucial for PMax’s success in lead generation campaigns.
The key to success with PMax for lead generation lies in feeding Google’s algorithm with quality data. This means implementing robust OCT.
Cathryn Stormont, a freelance consultant, emphasizes:
“To make Performance Max for lead generation work, it is vital to instruct Google on the outcome. If you don’t, it will seek to bring in as many submissions as possible – regardless of the quality.”
Action steps:
* You can do this by adding several qualifying questions, setting up confirmation pages for qualified leads versus unqualified leads, and only counting the qualified leads.
Use data from successful campaigns across other channels to inform your PMax strategy. This is especially useful when dealing with limited data in new PMax campaigns.
Practical tips:
Note: It’s important to understand that PMax uses these signals differently than traditional keyword targeting. The goal is to help Google understand your potential customers’ broader context and interests, not to target specific search terms.
It’s vital to understand PMax’s strengths and limitations. Performance Max excels at capturing existing demand but struggles with generating new demand.
To leverage this characteristic effectively, consider implementing an advanced tactic:
Run a PMax campaign alongside a separate Search campaign that targets high-quality, intent-driven search keywords. This approach allows you to:
Action steps:
This strategy lets you maintain control over your highest-value search terms while leveraging PMax’s optimization and remarketing capabilities. It creates precise targeting of traditional Search and the broad reach and AI-driven optimization of PMax.
Remember, viewing these campaigns as complementary rather than competitive is key. Doing so can create a more comprehensive and effective lead generation strategy that captures high-intent traffic and then nurtures it effectively toward conversion.
Your first-party data is gold for PMax campaigns. It provides Google with clear signals about who is genuinely interested in your products or services.
Steps to implement:
While PMax limits our control compared to traditional search campaigns, we can still guide the algorithm by telling it where not to show our ads.
Tactics to consider:
Not all leads are created equal. Implement a lead scoring system in your CRM and feed this data back to Google. This allows the algorithm to optimize for lead quality, not just quantity.
Remember that lead generation is just the start. Track and optimize for downstream metrics like qualified leads, meetings set, and eventual sales.
While PMax is highly automated, it still requires human oversight and strategic input. Review performance regularly, adjust audience signals, and refine your creative assets.
PMax relies heavily on your creative input. Ensure you provide a diverse range of high-quality assets, including compelling ad copy, eye-catching images, and engaging videos.
While Performance Max limits traditional keyword targeting, Google now allows advertisers to use negative keyword lists in these campaigns.
This feature is crucial for lead generation efforts, serving two essential purposes:
Additionally, pay close attention to URL settings. Consider disabling URL Expansion in your PMax settings, as this will help you retain control over what landing pages are used. For lead generation, sending users to the right landing page is crucial for lead quality.
If you choose to keep URL Expansion enabled, be sure to exclude irrelevant pages like blogs, recruitment pages, or ‘About’ sections to maintain control over the user journey.
These controls allow you to shape your PMax campaign more precisely, ensuring it complements your existing strategies and maintains the quality of your lead generation efforts.
Reviewing the display placements and excluding irrelevant websites from showing your ads is essential. Typically, gaming sites and kids’ apps are the first things you want to exclude.
Also, be wary of Google’s automatically created assets. At my PPC agency, Hop Skip Media, we’ve seen instances where Google automatically creates YouTube videos of inferior quality. Make sure you turn those off and review assets regularly.
Before fully committing to PMax for lead generation, assess whether Google accurately understands your business and website content.
You can do this by inputting your website URL into the Search Terms section of the Keyword Planner and evaluating the relevance of the generated keywords.
If there’s a significant mismatch, PMax may need help to target the right audience for your lead generation efforts.
Make your lead generation forms more discriminating by including qualifying questions.
Set up separate confirmation pages for qualified and unqualified leads, and only count qualified leads when firing your conversion pixel. This approach helps ensure that PMax optimizes for quality leads rather than just quantity.
By avoiding these pitfalls and implementing the strategies we’ve discussed, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your Performance Max campaigns for lead generation.
Remember, the key is continually providing Google’s algorithm with high-quality data and maintaining strategic oversight of your campaigns.
Like anything in Google Ads, Performance Max for lead generation is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It requires a strategic approach, continuous optimization, and a deep understanding of your lead qualification process.
By implementing offline conversion tracking, leveraging first-party data, structuring campaigns thoughtfully, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can harness the power of Google’s AI to generate more leads and better leads.
As Google continues to refine and improve Performance Max, we can expect even more sophisticated targeting and optimization capabilities.
The marketers who will succeed are those who stay ahead of the curve, continuously testing, learning, and adapting their strategies.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to fill your funnel – it’s to fill it with suitable leads. With these advanced strategies, you’re well-equipped to make Performance Max a powerful tool in your lead generation arsenal.
More resources:
Featured Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock
Google has announced a new technology called “confidential matching” to enhance data privacy for advertisers.
Confidential matching, which uses confidential computing technology, allows businesses to use their first-party data for advertising while maintaining stricter privacy controls.
The system employs Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), a combination of hardware and software that isolates data during processing.
According to Google, this technology prevents external access to the processed data, including by Google itself.
The announcement comes as the tech industry faces increasing scrutiny over data handling and privacy concerns.
The new system offers several features that Google claims will enhance data security:
Confidential matching is now the default for Customer Match data connections, including those made through Google Ads Data Manager.
Google plans to expand this technology to other advertising solutions in the coming months.
This technology is available at no additional cost to advertisers. This move could give Google a competitive edge in digital advertising, where privacy concerns have become increasingly important.
While Google frames this as a positive step towards better data protection, there is potential for Google to consolidate its dominance in the digital advertising space further.
Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, expressed support for the initiative, stating that it shows “continued momentum in adopting PET-powered solutions.”
However, it would help to have more transparency regarding how the technology works and its effectiveness in protecting user data.
This development comes amid a shifting landscape in digital privacy, with increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing consumer awareness of data protection issues.
Other major tech companies have introduced privacy-focused initiatives, reflecting a broader industry trend.
The long-term impact of technologies like confidential matching on user privacy and advertising effectiveness is unknown.
Industry folks will be closely monitoring how this technology is implemented and its effects on the digital advertising landscape.
Google has announced plans to discontinue its Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC) bidding strategy for search and display ad campaigns.
This change, set to roll out in stages over the coming months, marks the end of an era for one of Google’s earliest smart bidding options.
Starting October 2024, new search and display ad campaigns will no longer be able to select Enhanced CPC as a bidding strategy.
However, existing eCPC campaigns will continue to function normally until March 2025.
From March 2025, all remaining search and display ad campaigns using Enhanced CPC will be automatically migrated to manual CPC bidding.
Advertisers who prefer not to change their campaigns before this date will see their bidding strategy default to manual CPC.
No immediate action is required for advertisers running display campaigns with the Maximize Clicks strategy and Enhanced CPC enabled.
These campaigns will automatically transition to the Maximize Clicks bidding strategy in March 2025.
Google introduced Enhanced CPC over a decade ago as its first Smart Bidding strategy. The company has since developed more advanced machine learning-driven bidding options, such as Maximize Conversions with an optional target CPA and Maximize Conversion Value with an optional target ROAS.
In an email to affected advertisers, Google stated:
“These strategies have the potential to deliver comparable or superior outcomes. As we transition to these improved strategies, search and display ads campaigns will phase out Enhanced CPC.”
This update signals Google’s continued push towards more sophisticated, AI-driven bidding strategies.
In the coming months, advertisers currently relying on Enhanced CPC will need to evaluate their options and potentially adapt their campaign management approaches.
While the change may require some initial adjustments, it also allows advertisers to explore and leverage Google’s more advanced bidding strategies, potentially improving campaign performance and efficiency.
Google will discontinue the Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC) bidding strategy for search and display ad campaigns.
Campaigns using Enhanced CPC will continue as usual until March 2025. After that:
Google suggests using its more advanced, AI-driven bidding strategies:
These strategies are expected to deliver comparable or superior outcomes compared to Enhanced CPC.
Advertisers need to evaluate their current reliance on Enhanced CPC and explore alternatives:
This proactive approach will help manage changes smoothly and explore potential performance improvements.
Featured Image: Vladimka production/Shutterstock
Cybersecurity researchers are warning people over a troubling rise in “malvertising”—the use of online ads to deploy malware, phishing scams, and other attacks.
A report from Malwarebytes found that malvertising incidents in the U.S. surged 42% last fall.
The prime target? Unsuspecting users conducting searches on Google.
Jérôme Segura, senior director of research at Malwarebytes, warns:
“What I’m seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. Hackers are getting smarter and the ads are often so realistic that it’s easy to be duped.”
The schemes frequently involve cybercriminals purchasing legitimate-looking sponsored ad listings that appear at the top of Google search results.
Clicking these can lead to drive-by malware downloads or credential phishing pages spoofing major brands like Lowe’s and Slack.
Segura explained of one recent Lowe’s employee portal phishing attack:
“You see the brand, even the official logo, and for you it’s enough to think it’s real.”
Part of what makes these malvertising attacks so volatile is they hijack and undermine user trust in Google as an authoritative search source.
Stuart Madnick, an information technology professor at MIT, notes:
“You see something appearing on a Google search, you kind of assume it is something valid.”
The threats don’t end with poisoned promotions, either. Malicious ads can also sneak through on trusted websites.
Experts advise several precautions to reduce malvertising risk, including:
Madnick cautioned:
“You should assume that this could happen to you no matter how careful you are.”
Staying vigilant against malvertising exploits will become more critical as cyber attackers evolve their deceptive tactics.
While individual users must stay vigilant, websites are also responsible for implementing safeguards to prevent malicious ads from being displayed on their platforms.
Some best practices include:
Many websites rely on third-party ad verification services and malware scanning tools to monitor the ads being served and block those identified as malicious before reaching end users.
Rather than accepting ads through open real-time bidding advertising exchanges, websites can whitelist only thoroughly vetted and trusted ad networks and sources.
For an added layer of protection, websites can implement a human review process on top of automated malware scanning to manually analyze ads before serving them to visitors.
Malvertisers constantly update their techniques, so websites must monitor their ad traffic data for anomalies or suspicious patterns that could indicate a malicious campaign.
By implementing multi-layered ad security measures, websites can avoid unknowingly participating in malvertising schemes that put their visitors at risk while protecting their brand reputation.
Featured Image: Bits And Splits/Shutterstock
This morning, The Outlook Study: August Update has been released by the IAB as an update to their initial November 2023 study and provides a snapshot of projected ad spend, opportunities, and challenges for the remainder of 2024.
The study outlines the shifts that have occurred throughout the year, capturing current perspectives from buy-side ad investment decision-makers at brands and agencies.
Here are some of the key takeaways for digital marketers:
In other words, it’s time to spring forward, not fall back, in the media and marketing industries.
The increase in projections is not what many digital marketers were expecting, so what is happening in the changing industry landscape?
Increased ad spending in the second half of 2024 is being driven by increased political spending around the presidential election and other cyclical events, such as the Summer Olympic games.
Based on IAB’s recent email survey of 200 buy-side ad investment decision-makers, primarily at brands and agencies, nearly all channels are expected to post higher growth rates YoY.
Yes, even linear TV is now expected to grow 4.3%, but nine other channels are expected to grow at even faster rates:
Buyers – particularly in the consumer-packed goods (CPG) and the beauty categories – are set to surge in the U.S. this year, pushing overall retail media ad spending to reach one-fifth of the total 2024 ad spend.
Okay, these are the reasons to spring forward, even if we’re on the verge of fall. But there are a couple of challenges that digital marketers still face.
For example, there’s been a decline in focus on new ad KPIs (e.g., attention metrics, weighted CAC, etc.), which suggests there’s been a renewed interest in refining and leveraging established metrics to achieve cross-funnel goals.
However, goals can vary by channel.
As I mentioned this summer in “Business Outcomes Are The Top KPI Of Video Ad Buyers – IAB Report Part Two,” IAB’s latest Digital Video report found that within the digital video channel, buyers are determining success via business outcomes, i.e., sales, store/website visits, etc.
So, figuring out how to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to measure business outcomes instead of marketing outputs remains “the road less traveled.”
While economic worries have faded, the concern over executing cross-channel media measurement has risen.
The resilient economy, marked by a 2.3% rise in consumer spending in Q2 2024, has eased buyers’ concerns.
But, as media convergence gains traction, cross-channel measurement remains a top priority, especially for large advertisers that spend over $50 million annually.
Other concerns, like managing reach and frequency across screens and channels, as well as media inflation, have remained flat.
Understanding evolving consumer habits is a growing concern – and is keeping significantly more buyers up at night than it did last year.
It does seem like it’s time to spring forward in the media and marketing industries, although this has traditionally been the season when digital marketers prepare to fall back.
All data above has been taken from The 2024 Outlook Study: August Update – A Snapshot into Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth by the IAB. The study is a follow-up to the initial November 2023 release, providing current perspectives from 200 buy-side ad investment decision makers at brands and agencies.
More resources:
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Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising remains a cornerstone of effective digital marketing strategies.
Often, when we begin work on a PPC account or campaign, it comes with some history.
Whether it’s because we inherited it or have been asked to conduct an audit, the goal is always the same: to look at it with fresh new eyes, making use of our expertise and hard-earned skills.
We need to make sense of it to fix issues and improve performance.
In my original post dated October 2021, I highlighted seven key areas to optimize in order to improve PPC campaign performance.
But as we move through 2024, the advent of AI tools and intelligence has significantly disrupted the landscape, necessitating continuous refinement and adaptation.
Additionally, the proliferation of privacy regulations has profoundly impacted data collection and insights gathering.
In this updated guide, we now explore nine proven ways to enhance your PPC campaign performance, considering these new dynamics.
By leveraging the latest tools and insights, you can ensure your campaigns are optimized for maximum impact and return on investment.
One often overlooked but obvious way to segment the performance by audience is to look at where your existing and prospecting customers are located.
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2024You will likely see patterns for different states, regions, and even postal codes.
This seems to be quite obvious if we consider that demographics can be entirely different from place to place.
By segmenting your audience based on geographical data, you can tailor your campaigns to target specific areas more effectively. For instance, higher transaction values in affluent suburbs may justify increased spending to acquire those customers.
Ensure your campaign settings reflect these nuances to optimize performance.
It’s a given. Despite the increasing convergence between experiences on different platforms and devices, user behavior can vary significantly across different devices.
While mobile continues to dominate traffic, desktop often leads in conversions for many industries.
It’s not just a matter of screen size and resolution, but also about context and the reasons why we use a device instead of another.
It’s crucial to regularly review device performance data to better understand your audience and the context in which they operate. This understanding allows you to align your messaging and user experience accordingly.
Furthermore, aligning this data with other marketing channels can enhance the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.
Targeting the right network can significantly impact your campaign’s success.
We could argue at length about the quality of impressions and clicks from partners’ websites. But most of the time, these generate such a small amount of traffic that in the wider context of an account, the spend can be negligible.
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2024And considering that there is no way to target Search Partners alone, whether we keep the Search Partners on or off is a different matter.
However, that cannot be said for the Display Network — you should always split Search and Display campaigns.
While Search Network delivers high-intent traffic, Display Network excels in brand awareness, and while the end of third-party cookies and a cookieless future are upon us mean that personalized and targeted ads will be more limited, we are likely to see a revival of contextual advertising.
But even when highly targeted, display ads are a form of disruption of the user experience, and therefore we must always acknowledge that in our creative and messaging.
Additionally, we should likely use the two networks to target customers and prospects at different stages of their user journey and have different strategies, KPIs, and targets aligned to that.
Often, we see search driving a significant amount of traffic from existing customers who use the engines to quickly “navigate” to a website to access their account.
If appropriate measures are not in place, these navigational clicks can be quite costly when they come from PPC ads.
Add suppression lists to avoid (where possible) incurring any extra costs that won’t drive additional conversions.
Per my previous point, the third-party cookie ban will limit your ability to target specific audience members and personalized ads, including retargeting.
So other logical uses of audience targeting include the segmentation of the user base (first-party data) into cohorts based on a shared attribute or identifier, and therefore defined by behavior (i.e., page visitors), and/or engagement (high consumption of content).
With the growing importance of first-party data due to privacy regulations, nurturing customer lists is crucial.
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2024But audiences can also be used for observation rather than targeting, as in the above example.
Since these won’t affect the campaigns’ performance, it is strongly suggested that as many relevant audiences as possible be added.
Once the data is collected, it will provide valuable insights into which segments are most valuable and which audiences are underperforming. This will enable you to make the right adjustments.
Keywords are still the strongest signal. But due to the complexity of natural language and the different (often unique) ways people search, even with the most sophisticated machine learning, machines can still struggle to fully understand the intent.
Therefore, it’s as important as ever to narrow down the chances that keywords might match unwanted search queries. You must continually review and mine the search query data available.
Even with the current limitations, search query reports can really help you understand what Google thinks a website or a page is about.
At a time when Google is encouraging advertisers to move to using more broad match and keyword themes, this can help reduce costs for unwanted, less relevant searches and exclude terms that don’t align with your campaign goals.
This ongoing process also helps improve your quality score and overall campaign efficiency.
Continuing from the point above, one of the reasons to use additional features like the ad extensions is the benefit these can have on the quality score.
It goes without saying that QS alone should be a compelling enough reason.
Additionally, considering that ad listings on search engines can be quite expensive, wouldn’t it make sense to try to always maximize the on-page real estate?
If we are paying a large amount of money to be there, we want to ensure it’s worth it. Besides, the more space we can take, the less will be available for competitors and other advertisers!
Additional features also include less-used options, such as the capability to upload offline conversions (more on that in a moment) or run experiments and A/B testing.
With the push for automation by platform owners, manual adjustments are becoming more limited.
Leveraging machine learning and AI for actionable insights and optimization options is now more critical than ever.
Accurate conversion tracking is the bedrock of effective PPC campaigns – and this is one of my favorites – and it’s essential that we are tracking the right goals.
In digital marketing, everything should be measurable, and marketers should be accountable for the performance of their advertising campaigns. Conversion tracking should always be at the cornerstone of planning and executing media buying.
However, we often see examples of PPC accounts and campaigns that are either missing conversion tracking altogether or are tracking the wrong endpoints.
Provided we have our conversions firing and recording correctly, some expert tips are to:
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2024Besides, the importance of conversion data has increased exponentially as it informs machine-driven optimization, so importing offline conversions and using enhanced conversions are now essential practices.
The role of the marketer has evolved significantly with the advent of AI and automation.
It’s now crucial to maximize the effectiveness of these technologies.
Automated systems can mine and provide actionable insights from vast amounts of data, which manual methods cannot match; only understanding and leveraging these capabilities will help marketers stay ahead.
We probably cannot stress enough about this; with increasing privacy regulations, third-party data is becoming less reliable, so nurturing first-party data has never been more important.
Building and maintaining comprehensive customer lists in full transparency allows for targeting with greater accuracy and personalization while ensuring compliance with privacy laws and campaign effectiveness.
In the dynamic world of PPC advertising, continuous improvement is key.
By regularly updating and refining your strategies across (some of) these nine areas, you can achieve sustained success and drive better results for your campaigns.
Back in 2021, my recommendation was to embrace the Pareto Principle and focus on where you can make a difference right away:
“Look for those campaigns and terms that are responsible for the majority of the ad spend.
It is likely that 20% of those are accountable for 80% of your outgoing costs.
If those campaigns or keywords are hitting your targets, improving their performance might really help you to take things to the next level and become the company CFO’s best friend.”
Now I still think your job is to focus on the 20%, but the grunt work, the 80% is likely to be best left to the machines.
The advent of AI tools and the push for automation have transformed the role of marketers, making it essential to leverage these technologies effectively, while privacy regulations underscore the importance of first-party data.
Like never before, it is important to stay informed about the latest tools and trends and not hesitate to adapt the approach to meet the evolving needs of your audience.
Key Takeaways for 2024:
More resources:
Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock
Google has announced a new update to its Local Services Ads (LSA) platform, implementing an automated photo selection feature.
Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, revealed that the company will now choose photos from advertisers’ LSA profiles to display in their ads.
Local Services advertisers: Starting today, we’ll begin selecting photos from your LSA profile to show in your ads. Photos will be selected based on their likelihood to increase engagement with your ad.
Some things to note with this update:
•Adding photos to your Local…— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) August 7, 2024
According to the announcement, this change is designed to increase ad engagement. The selection process will be based on an image’s perceived likelihood of improving user interaction with the advertisement.
Key Points of the Update:
This update introduces a new variable for Local Services advertisers to consider.
While Google suggests that adding photos could improve ad rankings, the actual impact remains to be seen.
Advertisers may need to reassess their visual content strategies in light of this change.
Google says photos must be high quality, relevant to the advertiser’s work, and original.
The company explicitly states that copied or stolen images are not permitted. Advertisers can manage their photos through the Profile and Budget page in their LSA dashboard.
It’s important to note that photo inclusion in ads is not guaranteed. Google states that ad appearance will vary depending on user queries and other unspecified factors.
This variability may present challenges for advertisers seeking to control their ad presentation consistently.
As this feature rolls out, local service providers using Google’s advertising platform must monitor its effects on their ad performance and adjust their strategies accordingly.
This LSA update matters for digital marketers and local businesses.
It changes how visuals impact local service ads, potentially shaking up ad performance and user engagement.
What it means for LSA advertisers:
What it means for marketers and agencies:
Keep a close eye on your LSA performance and be ready to pivot. Savvy marketers can turn this update into a win for their local ad game.
Featured Image: Mamun sheikh K/Shutterstock
Getting Google Ads Certified is a great way to demonstrate a baseline learning effort and level of exposure to PPC and managing Google Ads.
Whether you’re coming out of school, entering a career that involves Google Ads, or simply want to learn, it is a great place to get started.
Some employees may list it as a minimum requirement on applications. Others will include it in onboarding and training. It can be a great place to start your own self-guided journey in less corporate environments or if you’re doing your own work to learn and level up.
Additionally, many agencies and organizations are part of the Google Partners program. Google Partners often must meet certain standards, such as maintaining different levels of badges or credentials across their teams.
One requirement is to have a certain number of connected accounts (strategists) certified, with certain numbers or minimums that need to be met in specific specialty areas (more on these later).
This article is about the individual certification (for professionals), so just note that it is important to make sure things get linked up properly with your company if you were asked to become certified for your company’s Google Partner program.
Google Ads certification is a process by which Google recognizes marketers as experts in online advertising.
After passing Ads certification exams, individuals get a personalized certificate and – if affiliated with a company – can contribute to the company’s Google Partner credentials.
There have been a tremendous number of changes in Google Ads.
Google has increased the number of certification exam topics over the past couple of years, but in some cases, the rapid pace of Google’s platform changes hasn’t been maintained in the learning and exam content.
If you’re interested in learning more or taking your own steps toward Google Ads Certification – regardless of the reason or motivation – check out the four steps to work through the process and be prepared to dedicate some time to working through them.
Navigate to the Google Ads Certification platform within Skillshop.
In the top right corner, click Log In.
Now, we’re at a critical step right away. We want to ensure that the account you get certified through is the specific one you want to be certified. If this is your first time using Google’s Skillshop, you must create a new account.
Please read to the end of the details for this step before you start filling out the forms and taking any account linking steps.
Please note that if you have an existing account, you may still be required to do some new account linking or migration based on Google’s migration from skillshop.exceedlms.com to skillshop.docebosaas.com.
If you work for an agency or a company, you will likely be required to use your work email address.
Regardless of agency, corporate, or whatever status, you likely want to link your certification to the address you manage Google Ads to keep things simple and clean.
If you haven’t managed Google Ads yet and don’t have an account, you can easily create one here to get started.
If you’re a returning user, be careful to find your Skillshop profile and ensure your Google account is still properly linked so you don’t accidentally take exams in a new account versus recertifying your current account.
Again, you may have to perform additional linking and verification steps based on the migration of systems on Google’s end. Be mindful of that.
The account management piece can be confusing and frustrating as there are separate profiles yet linked accounts between this system and Google’s accounts and Ad management systems.
If you’re interested in having your certification count toward a Google Partners badge, be sure to link things properly using the company email address you use for managing ads for your Google Partner company.
If you’re interested, I encourage you to learn more about the Google Partners program details, requirements, and logistics for getting set up.
Please note that the certifications you need to be counted for Google Partners are more narrow and specific than those you need to be a certified Google Ads Professional.
If needed, navigate back through Skillshop to the Google Ads Certifications again to arrive at the page with the list of exam topics.
You’ll find an intro page that provides background information to help you determine which certification is right for you and different categories or exam tiers as Google recommends.
If your goal is simply to get certified, then you can follow the navigation to reach the page that is focused on the certification exams itself.
Here, you can find the specific certification you want to start with and click on it.
Within the specific certification, read the overview info.
When you’re ready to dive in, click the Get Started button.
Google provides both basic educational info and more extensive training content.
The specific Google Ads certifications include:
If you’re brand new to Ads and the certification exams, I recommend starting with the Google Ads Search Certification.
Search ads are one of the fundamental and traditional types of ads from the Google Ads platform.
But if you are more focused on something like just shopping, then start there.
Or, if you’re brand new and are most interested in the newer AI-powered ads and functionality, skip right to that one, but know that you might need a little more training and ramp-up time to understand the AI aspects on top of some traditional concepts.
Training content is available and tied to each of the specific certifications.
When you click on any of them, you’ll have options to get started, including a quick knowledge assessment and other resources.
Screenshot from skillshop.docebosaas.com, June 2024You’ll need to plan on investing at least a few hours to go through the training content specialization.
If you’ve been managing Ads campaigns or have deeper exposure, it’s still a good idea to go through the modules – even if you do it faster.
The sample questions are quite helpful; they are written in the same format as they appear on the actual exams.
This is especially important to note as with some of the recent rapid changes and features that have been rolled out into Google Ads, some of the exam content might be slightly (or more) dated than what you’re used to seeing in the platform on a daily basis.
Unless you have previously been certified and/or have moderate Ads experience, don’t skip the training content!
To become certified, you must pass the assessment in any of the respective certification specialties by achieving at least a minimum percentage of correct answers within the time allotted for the exam.
Note that you cannot pause the timer, so be sure that you’re able to dedicate the time required and can remove interruptions.
Your certification will then be awarded for that specific product focus area.
You can stop with one specialization or continue by going through additional specializations until you have mastered and achieved all of those relevant to your desired credentials.
If you’re an overachiever or love standardized tests, there’s nothing that says you can’t take them all.
Note that if you fail to pass an exam, you must wait one day before retaking that specific assessment again. That’s the only real penalty for not passing.
For all assessments you pass, which give you certifications, you will receive an email confirming your status at minimum. In the past, there have been badges and certificates to publicly display and download.
As things continue to change, though, I recommend keeping a digital record of your certifications. You can always go back into the dashboard to help show or prove that you passed and are certified if necessary.
Whether you’re new to paid search ads through Google or have been managing ads for years and are just now exploring certification, I encourage you to spend some time with the steps I unpacked and see if you feel like it will be a worthwhile investment in your learning and personal credentialing.
As I mentioned earlier, be patient and know that there might be some disconnects between what you see in the exams versus in the platform itself as things are changing at a rapid pace with new features, interfaces, and ways that Google Ads works.
Regardless of your certification status, I want to encourage you on your journey with Google Ads and wish you happy and profitable days ahead for your business or organization!
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